Then there are the “clean fifteen” –
conventionally grown crops that have the
least pesticides on them. They are:If you are interested in reducing pesticides
in your food, you can buy organic versions of
the foods whose conventional forms have the
highest levels of pesticide residues. These are
known as the “dirty dozen” and include:THE CLEAN FIFTEEN AND
THE DIRTY DOZEN
A OESAPPLESPEACHESCUCUMBERS
SPINACHCHERRY
TOMATOESSWEET BELL
PEPPERSPOTATOESNECTARINESSNAP PEASSTRAWBERRIES GRAPES CELERYSWEET PEASPAPAYASCANTALOUPE CAULIFLOWERSWEET
POTATOESKIWI EGGPLANT GRAPEFRUITONIONS ASPARAGUS MANGOESCORN PINEAPPLES CABBAGEhelping you grow and stay healthy). Studies
have shown that organic food is higher in
antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that
keep cells healthy
for longer, and they also help in preventing
diseases like cancer. Although this is
obviously ver y impor tant, hardly anyone has
done any serious research on just how much
more nutritious organic food might be.Organic farming is more sustainable:
Some of the chemicals that are used in
conventional farming have been found to be
quite dangerous, not only to the farmers who
use them, but also to the land on which they
are used. These chemicals can disturb all
kinds of natural processes, killing bees and
other impor tant insects, and polluting the
ground and water.Ifyoucantfindoraffordorganic
food, don’t worr y! You can still make
sure that the food you’re eating is
as clean as possible. You can wash
your fruit and vegetables in a solution
of white vinegar and water. Simply
mix three par ts of water to one par t
vinegar and put it in a spray bottle.
Spray your fruit and veg with the
mixture and then rinse it of f. You
can also soak your fruit and veg for
a while in the same mixture for an
extra clean.WHAT CAN I DO IF I CAN’T
FIND ORGANIC FOOD?